New Egyptian political party to take on Morsi

Source: The National

CAIRO // Newly united by their opposition to President Mohammed Morsi and a controversial new constitution, Egypt's liberal and secular groups are preparing to create a new political party to mount an aggressive campaign in the upcoming parliamentary elections.

The high committee of the National Salvation Front (NSF), the umbrella opposition group that led huge street protests last month to protest against what they called Mr Morsi's move toward autocracy, is preparing to register a new party with the same name, an official said.

Efforts by Egyptian liberals and secularists to organise themselves more effectively received fresh impetus after the leader of Egypt's largest ultraconservative Islamist party announced on Tuesday he was forming a new political party, splitting from the Salafist Al Nour party.

Representatives from the NSF's member groups would run as a bloc to counter the Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party and the popular Salafist parties.